The Great Library of Halia Mortes
Halls of Eternal Wisdom The Great Library resides in the upper reaches of Halia Mortes. Despite the lavish facilities and prestigious history, all are welcome within these halls of learning. Origin After the fall of Rhivic and the free people's descent into Lancerus, a group known as the Archons made their home in Halia Mortes. There they assembled great volumes of scrolls, books and tomes from Falfir and beyond. Eventually these men gathered their prowess and created the Great Library. Upon its completion the Archons renamed themselves the Second Archons, as the Library's completion was as a second birth to them (it was also done to distinguish the achievements of their brotherhood and those who lived before in Falfir). The Second Archons were studiers of religion and magic. Their understanding of the Gods and the arcane arts was only matched by the High Elves. Indeed, under the roof of the Great Library were many great strides made in the sciences of magic. The Loremasters' Lobby During the second century of the Fourth Age a man named Genis Moore retired from adventuring and joined the ranks of the then fledgling Second Archons. Using his prestige and wisdom, Genis restructured the Second Archons into a new group. These scholars took a new emphasis on the preservation of knowledge while also keeping dangerous secrets from the public eye. They called themselves the Loremasters. The innermost sanctum of the Great Library (once called the Hall of the Archons) was repurposed as the main hub for the Loremasters and was subsequently called the Hall of the Loremasters. The name has evolved since then to what it is today: the Loremasters' Lobby. Since that day, the Loremasters have made it their goal to find, study and preserve knowledge that could be deemed powerful and/or dangerous in the wrong hands. Over several hundred years the collection of works held in the Lobby has grown to a respectable amount. This has drawn much unwanted attention. Numerous attempts to steal from the Lobby have been made; all have failed. Whatever guards the Lobby is surely supremely powerful. No secret has ever leaked. Sael Before the Godswalk began there was only one Loremaster left. Their name is Sael. Sael is a frail city-elf with rusty hair and quiet demeanor. Sael, being a devotee of Nolweva, has forgone an assigned gender. Sael has no last name, no known land of origin, and seldom speaks of their personal life before becoming a Loremaster. They tend to the Lobby and safeguard its secrets. When the Godswalk began, Sael deemed it necessary to grow the number of Loremasters lest something happen to them. Sael sent out invites all over the Seven Realms to rebuild the order of the Loremasters. There was a catch, however. To become a Loremaster, one must complete three trials: # Submit a rare text to the Lobby. A rare text is any work that Sael deems dangerous, unique, or powerful enough to add to the collection. Should Sael find a piece of literature worthy, the Test can begin. # The Loremaster's Test is a grueling endeavor to see if one truly has what it takes to become a Loremaster. Little is known about this process to outsiders. # Should one pass the Test, the last process is the Rite of the Loremasters. This is an oath taken by all members of the association to never divulge secrets, to harm other Loremasters while in the Lobby, and to never compromise the sanctity of the Lobby or its vassals and holdings. Many believe there is a powerful magic involved in this oath, as no Loremaster in the history of the order has ever broken this oath. Even men of the most bloodthirsty or devious natures can be Loremasters and have not once broken this oath. Donated Texts from Loremasters The following is a list of all the works that successful Loremasters have submitted to the Lobby. Outsiders would not know the existence of this information. Sinthaster of the Darkmoon - A few tattered pages from an old, worn book titled "In Laer o in Bess Hasserra". Aurilus Iszavel - A journal detailing the life of "Hazel", one of the first true City-Elves. Nex Belain - Recited the events of Hírnok and Szar's Rakaun Civil War (Hírnok's Revolt) c. 498-500 Third Age: Cited the main Battle of Strijd Valley, and the Ambush at the Great Pass of Fa C'sata. Greyne of the Darkmoon - ?? Eldryn - ?? Calicana Fireborn - ??